The Lego Batman Movie (2017)

In recent years the animated genre has continued to be a part of a golden age in the cinematic universe. Writers have started to consider what adults may like and relate to, just as much as kids. Movies like “Zootopia” and “Kubo and the two strings” have appealed to all audiences because of its deeper message and story. We saw the same idea with “The LEGO Movie” from two years ago, where the intelligently written script evoked emotion from many people. With that in mind, critics and audiences alike were very excited for the new installment in the Lego world, “The LEGO Batman Movie.”

For this new Lego adventure, we move to Gotham City where once again, Batman must fight his most notable villain, the Joker. Not only must Batman fight his greatest enemy, he must first fix his own personal life. Not having any friends, Batman starts to realize that he cannot fight crime alone, and tries his best to develop solid relationships with Alfred, police commissioner Barbara Gordon, and his adopted son, Richard Grayson.

Much like “The LEGO Movie”, this most recent film is intelligently written and fast-paced. Will Arnett as Batman brings the same type of quick comedy that was present in the first flick. Director Chris McKay shows an interesting perspective on the Batman character that surprisingly has not been touched on in the past. As much as I love Batman films, I feel that Batman was always shown too much as a god-like character. We never truly understood Bruce Wayne’s personality outside of fighting crime. It wasn’t until he shows up in Lego form did audiences got to witness a whole other side of his character. Batman actually feels more human in this movie, and we see his many flaws.

I love how the director doesn’t shy away from poking fun at some of the many interesting phases of the Batman character. There are a few scenes where you can tell that McKay understands the history of the Caped Crusader pretty well, as he takes a few shots at the 1960s Adam West character. Adult audiences will definitely get a kick out of these pleasant touches of comedy.

There was a lot of big names outside of Arnett for the supporting cast including, Zach Galifinakis as the Joker, Michael Cera as Robin, and Ralph Fiennes as Alfred. One of my only problems with the movie was the story went by so fast, audiences were never really able to figure out who played some of the characters because there was so many. For example, I did not know that Channing Tatum played Superman, or that Jonah Hill played Hal Jordan. I just wished the film hadn’t added so many of these useless characters to the plot. Fun fact: This is the first time we see the Justice League together on the big screen even though it’s in Lego form.

Much like the first installment, “The LEGO Batman Movie” evokes a good amount of emotion from people. While Batman is a major egomaniac throughout the entire running time, the genuine moments he has with his new friends are what makes you keep rooting for him. The message behind the movie was just as effective as well.

This Lego franchise is starting to become a must-see in theaters, which is great for the animation genre. On paper, films like these look like a cheap way to make money off of kids. However, adults need to give these movies a chance, as there are important life lessons that even they can relate to. Overall, this is one of the best films of 2017 so far, DC fans can finally rejoice that their superheroes are back to flying form thanks to Lego.

Tweet us @ReelTimeDublin or leave a comment below to get the discussion ball rolling!